The Rebels Have Failed
by Melanie Mertens
Summary: At the end of Catching Fire, the rebels have failed to overrule the Capitol and everything went back to the way it was before, and at some places even worse. This story is the story of Evan and Lysette from District 12. Lysette and Evan both have interesting backgrounds, and the duo can't help themselves but to figure out what exactly those backgrounds contain.
1. Chapter 1

_One_

It was a beautiful morning.

So beautiful even, it was hard to believe it was Reaping Day. Gorgeous orange flashes of sunlight beamed through my window, the sun was rising. I didn't have to get up yet, but I did anyway. I was way to nervous to still be able to sleep, so I got dressed and went downstairs. When I got there, I was surprised to find my little brother sitting at the table in the middle of te room.

"Hey, what are you doing up this early?", I asked him.

His head shot up at the sound of my voice.

"I couldn't sleep, Evan", he answered with a small voice. "I'm scared."

I sighed and sat down next to him at the table. The chair screeched when I sat down on it. "It's going to be fine, Deyna", I said. "Don't worry about me."

He scowled at me. "Don't talk to me like I don't understand! Of course it's not going to be fine! What if they pick you? I can't lose you, Ev!"

I suddenly felt sad. A seven year old boy shouldn't be worrying over something like this... The world was seriously fucked up.

"What's with all the fuzz this early in the morning?", my mom said with a sleepy voice while she came stumbling down the stairs. "Morning, mom", I greeted her as I stood up and I gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled softly, but I could see the worry in her eyes.

She sat down at the table accros from Deyna, who was blankly staring at the table with a look full of fury.

"I'm guessing you already know what day it is, Evan?", she asked tiredly. I nodded at her while blindly taking a mug out of one of the cabinets under the sink. She sighed and said: "You have been so lucky for the past six years, sweetheart. This is your last Reaping. Let's hope God blesses us one more time today."

I nodded again. I made my mom coffee and put it in front of her on the table. Deyna's look had changed from anger to pure despair. I put my hand on his right shoulder.

"Hey... It'll be okay." This time he didn't protest. He just nodded absently, stood up from his chair and went up to his room to get ready for the Reaping.

About one hour later my mom, Deyna and I were walking to the Square. I held Deyna's hand tightly and didn't let go until we where separated to go stand in our own sections. There I was, standing in a group of other eighteen year old boys who where just as lucky as I was. We had all survived the earlier Reapings for six years, today would be our last year. You could almost feel the relief hanging in the air.

Tammy Cleartree walked on stage.

She was the woman who pulled the names out of the Reaping bowl. Her strange looking outfit didn't even confuse people anymore, they saw her wearing those kind of clothes every year.

She strode towards the microphone with elegance, but you could tell she would much rather enjoy hosting the Reaping in any other District then our miserable district 12.

"Welcome to the Reaping, everybody!", she shrieked in a high-pitched voice. I winced, I hated girls with such voices. Listening to someone who sounded like that almost made my ears bleed.

"May the odds be ever in your favor. And now, we will be choosing our female tribute." Tammy reached into the glass bowl and pulled out a stroke of paper.

It was deadly silent on the Square.

Everybody held their breaths. Parents praying for the safety of their daughters, siblings scared to lose their sisters and boys afraid to lose their girlfriends. It all came down to one piece of paper that could destroy several lives in a second.

"Lysette Haleston", echoed Tammy's voice across the Square.

The sea of people created a path for the girl to walk forward. I couldn't see what she looked like, because the people around her were all bigger than her. She came from the section of sixteen year olds. When she stepped onto the stage, I could finally see her.

Her hair was honey blonde and hung down to her elbows, and she was about one head shorter than me. She was wearing a simple, white dress and her expression was blank. I knew that expression. I used it whenever something so emotional happened to me I couldn't take it, and I just had to erase all of the feelings to make sure I didn't break.

I had that expression at my dad's funeral seven years ago.

Lysette stood on stage firmly, right next to Tammy. She looked brave.

"Any volunteers?", Tammy chanted. The Square remained silent. "Alright then, let's move on to our male tribute then!"

Tammy hussled through the bowl for five long seconds before picking one of the little rectangles. I felt everyone around me tense up.

"Evan Casewalker."

My mind went blank.

Did she really just say my name? No no no, this wasn't happening. I'd escaped the Capitol for six years, they wouldn't pick me now. They wouldn't. Right?

All the heads around me turned towards me. I felt a few pats on my back, but I barely felt them. With sweat pearling on my forehead I made my way through the crowd of children. I heard a faint scream of torment from behind me, and without looking back I knew it was Deyna. I had failed my little brother. I told him I'd be fine, that I wouldn't be picked, and I let him down.

I walked on stage with firm steps. If that girl could be brave and strong, I'd look like a pussy next to her if I didn't look just as strong as her. I put on my brave face, walked over to Lysette and stood next to her.

Lysette and I shook hands, and looked each other in the eye without seeing one another.

We both knew there would only be one victor.

One of us was going to die.

Right after the Reaping we where led towards the trains. After the rebels failed at trying to destroy the Capitol a few years before I was born, the meeting tributes used to get with their family right before you where transferred was scratched from our list of good things, like lots of the already very few privileges District 12 used to have.

We were guided towards the train to the Capitol by Tammy. Lysette and I were walking next to each other. We hadn't said a word to each other yet, and I think neither of us really felt like talking now.

Her long hair swayed across her back and often stroked my arm. I looked at her curiously.

Didn't she have to leave behind any family, friends? Is that why she remained so neutral? It almost seemed to me like she didn't even care at all.

She must have noticed my staring, but she didn't react to it. Her eyes stayed focused on a certain spot in the distance in front of us.

We reached the train and climbed inside.

The hallway alone was filled with the most luxury I'd ever seen. The walls were covered in gold wallpaper and chandeliers made out of a see-through material hung from the ceiling. The sunlight that hit the chandelier scattered into little rainbow-colored flecks of light. Tammy told me it was made out of crystal. I just nodded.

Although the hallway's luxury was overwhelming, the Capitol had lost a lot of money when the rebels had attacked. There where only a few rooms in the train: the dining room and three bedrooms.

"This is my room", Tammy explained, "this one is for the Avoxes and this one is yours."

"What?", Lysette asked startled. "We have to share a room?".

Tammy awkwardly looked at the ground. "Well... Yes, we were hoping it wouldn't be a problem."

"What if it is?", Lysette fired back. I hear anger in her voice, and a hint of... Despair?

What she said startled Tammy for a second. "It will have to do, I'm afraid", she said. "It's only for two nights." Then, she turned away from us. When she was almost out sight, she yelled: "And get dressed for dinner, it's in one hour".

Lysette and I exchanged looks and went into the room without a word. The room wasn't very large, with a bed pressed to each side. Lucky for us, there were two bathrooms.

I took a blue T-shirt and a pair of jeans out of the closet that was pressed against the back wall and took my new clothes with me to the bathroom. I was surprised to see the clothes looked pretty normal, compared to the clothes the people from the capitol normally wore.

I locked the door behind me and looked into the mirror above the little ceramic sink. I could hear the water running in the other bathroom, Lysette was taking a shower, and by the look in the mirror I could use one too.

I looked terrible.

My sand-colored hair stood up in every possible direction, and I had dark circles under my eyes. _How did this happen, _I thought to myself. It has only been two hours!

I sighed and pressed my hands against the cold stone and leaned forward, breathing heavily.

Deyna. My mom.

Would I ever see them again? Would they be able to survive without me? I'd always been the one to get my family food, who would do it now? My brother?

He was only seven! How could he possibly earn money? My mom won't find work, either. She had been acting weird lately. She was always tired and she barely ate. I had thought about getting her a doctor, but that was nearly impossible. I would have had to save all the food money for half a year to get one, so we would have starved to death before I could have payed him.

I had to win. I had to return and save them from starvation.

But how? Who were my fellow tributes?

I had only just met Lysette, but she seemed like a tough one. She hadn't shown the tiniest bit of sadness or fright. I could already feel the respect I had towards her.

It took a lot of work to be so... Unfeeling. Maybe she had nobody left. Maybe her family was dead. Anyway, it wasn't my business.

I took a shower and got dressed.


	2. Chapter 2

_Two_

I actually wasn't surprised when I was reaped. My name, Lysette Haleston, was in that bowl so many times it was almost impossible that I didn't get picked. It still came as a shock, although I had felt it coming. When Tammy called my name, I immediately walked towards the stage. I ignored everyone around me, the very few people who knew me looking at me with disgust. I kept my face blank and emotionless, I couldn't show weakness.

Then the boy tribute was called. I had never seen this guy before, but he was tall and pretty hard to miss. He was standing in the 18-year olds section, so it would have been his last year. I immediately felt pity towards the boy, it had to suck to be reaped in your last year. I could see an exact copy of my facial expression on his face. He sure was strong.

Then my thoughts jumped to Elisa. Little Elisa, laying in front of the crowd with all the other kids younger than three. In a few minutes, the other kids would get picked up by their parents to go home. She wouldn't. Would someone pick her up, or would everyone just leave the little baby behind? Who would take care of her now? My mom couldn't. Even if she was still alive, I doubt she would have even looked at Elisa's tiny face. A sharp pain went through my heart. I couldn't leave a 6 months old baby behind, I simply couldn't. She was my responsibility, and she had absolutely nobody else.

While my body showed absolutely no emotion, I felt like I was being torn up from the inside.

Me and Evan, the boy tribute, didn't speak. I often felt his curious look burning on my face, but I pretended not to notice. I didn't do boys. Not anymore.

The train was really pretty, but all I could think of was how long me and Elisa could have lived from all of the gold in the hallway. Evan asked a stupid question about a chandelier, but I didn't bother to listen to the answer.

I absently slipped a little golden statue in the pocket of my dress to trade for food, before I realised that I wouldn't be able to use it at all. I was going to die soon.

When Tammy told Evan and me about the bedrooms, I was simply shocked. Sharing a room with a boy? Could the Capitol torture me even more? Of course I protested. I had a hard time walking next to this guy, let alone sleep in the same room as him. I shouldn't have bothered, of course there was no other option. Tammy told us to get ready for dinner, so Evan and I went into the room. The two meters between our beds were way to short.

I took a long shower, washed my hair and, for the first time in my life, shaved my legs. With a sigh I looked at my long, blond hair. It was as flat as could be, I thought it had absolutely no appeal at all. I made a waterfall braid that went around my head that started right above my left ear and stopped above my right. The rest of my hair still hung down my back.

When I opened the closet in the room I was amazed: there were tons of clothes there, and each one of them looked so expensive Elisa and I could have lived off of one for a whole month. I put on a blue dress I liked, and I was done. I didn't put too much effort in my outfit, I didn't have to impress Tammy, or anyone else from the Capitol. I didn't want to, either.


	3. Chapter 3

_Three_

When I arrived in the dining room, Lysette wasn't there yet. Tammy was sipping a cup of tea in one of the red, fluffy lounge chairs that where placed around the table.

I sat down, bored because of the lack of food or company.

After a few minutes Lysette walked into the room.

Her hair was suddenly braided in a particular way that went all the way around her head, but the rest of her hair fell down like a waterfall. Her dress was lightblue and strapless.

At her waist, the dress waved out and draped in three layers down to just above her knees.

She had just went from unnoticeable and silent, to simply stunning. Was this her tactic? Looking pretty so the other tributes wouldn't kill her? I honestly didn't think guys in the arena would spare her because she looked hot. But if it worked for her, I didn't mind.

Tammy's mouth fell open. "Oh, Lysette! You look absolutely wonderful!" Lysette raised an eyebrow, as if she didn't even realize how beautiful she looked.

"Did the Avoxes help you well?", Tammy asked.

"I didn't have any help. I did it by myself", Lysette spoke. Her voice was still as harshe as it had been before. You can change the outside in a glimpse, but the inside takes time to turn around.

While we were having dinner, we got to know our mentor. His name was Mille Somerspring.

Mentors were no longer former winners of the Games on tv, now they were people from the Capitol. He was quite young, twenty five at most. He just told us some of the basics, kill or be killed, things I had already learned from watching the Games. I didn't think he was going to be of much use to me, so I concentrated on the food. It was the best I had ever had, and I ate more then I had ever had before. It was great to forget about the fact I was going to die in only a few weeks, even if it was for only a little while.

That evening, I sat down on my bed across from where Lysette was sitting on hers. "So...", I tried, running my hand through my hair. "This is pretty akward, isn't it?".

She nodded. As I had already noticed, she wasn't much of a talker. It was dark in the room, so I could barely make out the contours of her face and hair. She laid down on her back and put her hands on her stomach. Lysette let out a long breath. "I... I don't want to kill anyone."

I was surprised by the vulnerability that sounded through her voice. Was the whole thing of being a tough girl an act?

"I'm sorry, but I think you'll have to. It's like Mille said: 'kill or be killed'. We don't really have a choice", I answered.

"Yes we do!", she said slightly irritated. "Everyone always has a choice! People just tell themselves they don't so the decision they make doesn't make them feel as guilty. We do have a choice, and the rebels proved that!"

During her rant she sat up again. My attention was flared at the word 'rebels'.

"Lysette," I said, "they are hearing everything we say, if I were you I'd watch my words." Even in the dark of the room I could feel her looking at me. There was a short silence. "You're just like them", she whispered.

That triggered something in me.

"I'm not!", I shouted. "I'm not and I never will be! The have destroyed so many lives, they murdered my father! The people from the Capitol are monsters and I-" "Who has to watch his words now?", she said. I could tell by the sound of her voice she was smiling.

"I'm sorry," I sighed, even though I wasn't sure for what.

"It's okay", Lysette said softly. She suddenly sounded kind. Had I finally found the girl in her?

She stood up and crossed the two meters that was between us. Lysette sat down next to me on the bed and folded her hands in her lap. She was nervously fiddling with her thumbs as she spoke: "I'm not as uncaring as I may seem, Evan. I left someone behind too..."

Her voice trailed off, and I wasn't sure she was talking to me or to herself now.

"Elisa...", she mumbled. "What will happen to her? Who will take care of her?"

I wanted to ask who Elisa was, but I stopped myself. If I asked her about home, she would ask me about it, too. And I didn't want to talk about home, it was too painful. So I just shut up.

"Why did it have to be me?", Lysette said after a little while.

"I keep asking myself the same question", I replied.

Lysette and I kept talking for a little while longer, and then she went to her own bed again. I slept deep, but not very long.

I woke up to a semi-dark room.

I looked through the window and saw the faded orange at the horizon that indicated the sun was about to rise. I turned around and I noticed the empty, slept-on sheets from Lysettes bed. Where was she? I opened the door as silent as I could and tip-toed through the hallway. There, I found her leaning against a window that reached from her waist to the ceiling, and it was half open. She was staring outside with a longing look I had never seen her wear before. Lysette hadn't seen me yet.

I stood there for a while, looking at her, how blond strands of her hair flew out of the window because of the strong wind. The sun was halfway up, and the orange-pinkish glow made her skin glow like it was on fire. That made me think of something.

"Do you know the story of 'the girl on fire' ?", I suddenly asked. She didn't even turn her head, I guess she knew I was there after all. "Yeah, I do. She started the revolution", Lysette answered me. She seemed completely relaxed, staring into the sunrise like this.

"She did more then that", I started explaining, inching closer to her. "She kept her sister and mother alive, she shot an arrow at the Gamemakers, she turned the whole game around by almost killing herself and her District partner. She was the Mockingjay."

I stood next to her, slightly leaning out of the window.

"How come you know this much about her?", asked Lysette curiously.

Shit. I completely walked in on this one.

Her face was now turned towards me, I finally had her attention.

"Because", I answered her softly, "I'm related to her."Lysettes eyes widened. "Seriously?! You're a descendant from the Everdeen-Mellarks?!"

"Shhh! Not so loud!", I whispered, "Not everyone on the train has to know! Although, they probably already do, 'cause they're with the Capitol and all."

"Dude, tell me more! I didn't know Katniss and that guy had a _kid_!", Lysette said, more excited then I'd ever seen her. I started explaining. "When the rebels freed the guy she was dating, you know, Peeta, they brought him back to his right mind-" "What do you mean, brought his back to his right mind? Was he nuts?", Lysette interrupted me.

"Yeah, the Capitol brainwashed him", I replied. "So, they got him back to normal, he knocked Katniss up, and a little while later they all got killed, as you know. They blew up the rebel base at District 13." With a confused look on her face, Lysette asked: "But, how did the baby survive?"

"Someone got it out of there right on time. They changed the child's name so the Capitol wouldn't come after him and kill him."

I suddenly felt sad. This story brought back some memories I didn't want to remember. Apparently, my facial expression stopped Lysette from asking her next question.

"You sound like a rebel yourself, you know", She said in a soft, caring voice. "It's dangerous to sound like that."

A tiny smile crept up my face.

"Are you really the one to say that?", I replied.

That made her smile, too.


End file.
